Where is my refund?

The estimated refund date chart is below

The below chart shows an estimated timeline for when a taxpayer is likely to receive their refund, based on the information we have now, and using projections based on previous years- and depending on when a person files their return. If your IRS income tax refund is delayed after you've filed, ask your tax professional, or simply use the "Where's My Refund?" tool on the IRS website. Or download the IRS2Go app to check your refund status.

Will the 2023 tax filing season be normal? It will likely be closer to normal than it has been since 2019, the last tax filing season before COVID-19 caused widespread office closures, even at the IRS, which delayed the 2020 tax filing deadline by several months. The pandemic also ushered in many tax credits and deductions for businesses, as well as stimulus payments for most Americans. These were also sometimes given as a credit on a taxpayer’s taxes, if they did not receive payment directly.

The Tax Deadline is April 18, 2023?

Why is the 2023 tax deadline April 18 instead of April 15? Because April 15, the standard deadline, falls on a Saturday. When the deadline falls on a weekend, the IRS moves the deadline day to the next business day. However, that Monday, April 17, 2023, is Emancipation Day, a holiday recognized in Washington, D.C., where the IRS is headquartered

Several factors can determine when a taxpayer may receive their tax return, including:

• How early they file

• If the taxpayer is claiming certain credits (especially EITC and CTC)

• Whether the return is e-filed or sent by mail

• Whether the taxpayer has existing debts to the federal government

Note: The IRS will delay processing by 2-3 weeks if an income tax return has the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Child Tax Credit (CTC), since these credits are often misused. The additional time allows the IRS to verify that taxpayers qualify for the credits. 

This is an estimate of when to expect your refund. It is not exact, as all taxpayers have different returns and situations.

IMPORTANT: If you file electronically (using an online tax program or preparer), the IRS will notify you of the actual date they "accepted" your return. This is often 1-3 days from the time you actually hit the "file" or "submit" button, and it is this date that you need to use for the above chart.

Taxpayers who mail a paper version of their income tax return can expect at least a 3-4 week delay at the front-end of the process, as the return has to be manually entered into the IRS system before it can be processed.

What If You Can’t File Your Income Taxes By April 15?

Taxpayers who don’t have all of the paperwork needed in order to file their taxes can easily file an extension form, “Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.” – This will give the taxpayer until October 17, 2023 to file their tax return. No reason or excuse is needed to receive this extension, and as the title states, it is automatically granted.

However, if a person will owe taxes, it is still their obligation to pay those taxes by April 18, 2023, even if they have requested an extension to file. DMS Financial Consulting can assist with this, just click this link to schedule an appointment. Those who are due a refund generally only need to file the extension request by April 18, 2023. Any tax professional and most do-it-yourself tax programs can perform this task.